Basildon

Basildon's population grew in the decade leading up to the most recent census. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure and religion.

The population passed 170,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Basildon increased by 5.3%, from just under 166,000 to 174,000.

The addition of just over 8,800 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Basildon was home to, on average, 11 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Fall in home ownership

The percentage of households that owner their home fell in Basildon, but at a slower rate than in Dartford, a statistically similar local authority area.

In Basildon, the proportion of home ownership decreased from 70% in 2001 to 66% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Dartford decreased from 74% to 67%.

Across Eastof England, the share of households that owner their home decreased from 72% to 68%.

Private renting in Basildon increased from 4.8% to 10%, while the rate of social housing decreased from 23% to 22%.

The rate of home ownership was lower than across Eastof England

Percentage of households that that owner their home across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Basildon

The number of people in Basildon that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 29,000 in 2001 to just under 53,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 17% to 30% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Basildon that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 120,000 in 2001 to about 110,000 in 2011 (from 73% to 60%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation remained close to 12,000 (6.8%)

About 1,600 people (0.6%) said they were Muslim, up from just over 940 in 2001 (0.9%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Basildon increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Basildon by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Basildon residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.3% to 5.5% in the decade to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (81%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 70% in 2001. The percentage of Basildon residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 13%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 7.6% in 2001 to 4.7% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Basildon decreased by 2.8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Basildon, Eastof England and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Basildon residents that were unemployed increased from 3.1% to 4.7% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just over one in two (54%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 55% in 2001. The percentage of Basildon residents that were self-employed increased from 8.2% to 9.6%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 2.6% in 2001 to 3.8% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The rate of unemployment in Basildon increased by 1.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Basildon, Eastof England and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Basildon

The number of people in Basildon from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just over 2,200 in 2001 to just under 4,800 in 2011. This represents a change from 1.4% to 2.7% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across Eastof England (from 2.8% to 5.0%) and the average across England (from 5.2% to 8.0%).

The number of people in Basildon from the White ethnic groups remained close to 160,000 between the last two censuses (from 97% to 93% of the population). The number of residents from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from about 1,100 to just under 4,700 (from 0.7% to 2.7%).

Just under 2,900 people (0.9%) said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), up from just over 1,500 in 2001 (1.7%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Basildon increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Basildon by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

↑ Back to the top

Area report data

Related links